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What is your connection with the Council of Europe?
By virtue of its Articles of Agreement, the Council of Europe Development Bank is "attached to the Council of Europe and administered under its supreme authority". This means that the CEB conducts its activity in accordance with the overall objectives pursued by the Council of Europe, in particular those concerning human rights, pluralistic democracy and the rule of law. The CEB originates from a "Partial Agreement" of Member States of the Council of Europe: 41 of the 46 States that comprise the Council of Europe are members of the Bank. The CEB is, nevertheless, legally and financially independent of the Council of Europe.
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How many members does the Bank have?
There are currently 43 members.
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Is there any specific feature that differentiates you from the other international financial institutions?
Yes. Over the years and with its new sectoral orientations, the CEB has clearly affirmed its specificity within the community of supranational institutions. In fact, the Bank has two particular characteristics: Firstly, it is the only European development bank with a purely social vocation, and its activity includes projects to combat extreme poverty and social exclusion. Secondly, it directs its financings exclusively to banks or public entities. This particular characteristic makes us truly complementary to other supranational institutions. -
Does the CEB have offices in its member states?
The administrative headquarters are located in Paris. In addition, the CEB has a project office in Ankara. The Bank is a Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe with its Secretariat in Strasbourg.
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Are you financed by taxes?
No. The Bank receives no annual contributions from its members. Its activities and functioning are financed from its capital and reserves and from resources raised on the financial markets. The CEB thus shows that it is possible to pursue a policy of solidarity in Europe without calling on the taxpayer. -
Can I work or do a traineeship at the CEB?
Yes, according to the vacancies we have, of course, and only if you are a national of one of the CEB's member states. Consult our Jobs page.
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Where did the idea to create the Bank come from?
It was an idea that came from the Council of Europe. After the Second World War, no measures had been taken in support of the so-called "national" refugees (East German refugees in West Germany, in particular).
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe entrusted Pierre Schneiter, President of the French National Assembly and Special Council of Europe Representative for National Refugees and Over-Population, with the task of finding a solution to the problem of these national refugees. He chose a flexible banking system: the creation, by members of the Council of Europe, of a "social bank", whose aim would be to borrow in order to lend the amounts borrowed to member states' Governments or to legal entities guaranteed by them. These loans would serve to finance projects creating new jobs or aimed at resettling national refugees or excess populations in Europe. And so the "Council of Europe Resettlement Fund for National Refugees and Over-population in Europe" was created. Over the years, it has evolved towards our Council of Europe Development Bank, but its objectives remain unchanged.